SRAM Eagle XX1 Drivetrain: Customer Review

Our awesome customer Robert recently decided to upgrade to SRAM Eagle XX1 and has nothing but positive things to say about it. Don't take our word for it, check out his review and see for yourself!

Overview

I was looking to move from my Santa Cruz 5010 and demoed a Santa Cruz Bronson with the SRAM Eagle drivetrain. I was really worried about not being able to climb as well but felt that Eagle made up for the climbing difference. Therefore, when I bought my new Bronson frame, I knew that I had to go with the SRAM Eagle drivetrain (minus the cranks). The price with Worldwide Cyclery was the best around and everything came in really quick. My frame is matte black and I knew that I wanted to go with the XX1 components. I decided that all gold was a bit too much so I decided to get the black derailleur, shifter, and chain with only the gold cassette.

I really like how SRAM now has so many different levels of Eagle available and I feel that this opens up a ton of different options. When I was deciding what to go with, it was almost too difficult to decide how to mix and match components. If someone wants to go high-end with certain parts and mid-range with others, that is an option. Or, if you wanted to have a backup derailleur on hand in case your XX1 derailleur gets damaged, you can use a lower end model. Also, the prices on the entry level kits are so “cheap” now that it makes it much easier to get into Eagle.

Performance

I did not have too many issues with my old 11-speed drivetrain and did not think that the jump to Eagle would make much of a difference. I could not have been more wrong. I was amazed at how much easier the shifts are, how quick everything reacts, and how much better the entire range feels. When shifting during a climb, the shifts engage much smoother and I have not noticed as many of the kerplunk sounds that always makes me think that I just destroyed everything. The number of shifts that I have to make has been cut down since a solid press on the lever moves so many rings on the cassette. Not to mention that the shifter allows you to fine tune your shifts a bit more. I relate it to the Wolf Tooth dropper remote that I have. You can slightly move with an easy press and then the impact is greater as you increase the pressure. Finally, I find that I can stay in the mid-range gears a bit more than I used to. Again, resulting in less shifting and less wear on the drivetrain.

Final Thoughts

Even if you don’t make the jump to XX1 right off the bat, get an entry level kit and then just upgrade individual components. They offer a price range for everyone and Worldwide Cyclery carries them all with the best customer service around.